Shaquille O'Neal

[SanAntonioCock]

There was an article linked in the RSS feed about Shaq donating the proceeds of his Super Bowl events to the families of the helicopter crash and I wanted to respond. I attended high school with him and it's long been a kind of open secret that Shaq helps people with their funeral arrangements when needed. This has been so as long as I can remember and applies to those he knows and doesn't know. He is a really solid human being. 

 

[Cockyandproud]

Good for him.  I never cared for Shaq when he was playing, but I have really developed a fondness for him since.  He’s quite a funny guy, and apparently, a kind and generous guy, too.

 

[Spur's Addiction]

You went to HS with Shaq?

 

[SanAntonioCock]

You went to HS with Shaq?

Yes, Robert G. Cole HS on Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. Small school for military dependents. We fancied ourselves a football school and we heard rumors a big guy from Germany was coming and everyone was excited for the football team. Shaq's dad, in his infinite wisdom, said no to football and Cole has been a basketball school ever since.  We only lost 1 game in the two year he played at Cole, the state championship game his junior year. The first time I met him was playing pick up ball at the elementary with 8 foot goals and he was like 6'10''. He is still pretty close to my friends but my dad got transferred to Columbia my senior year and we were never that close. Good guy, always the class clown.

 

[zcoop]

Yes, Robert G. Cole HS on Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. Small school for military dependents. We fancied ourselves a football school and we heard rumors a big guy from Germany was coming and everyone was excited for the football team. Shaq's dad, in his infinite wisdom, said no to football and Cole has been a basketball school ever since.  We only lost 1 game in the two year he played at Cole, the state championship game his junior year. The first time I met him was playing pick up ball at the elementary with 8 foot goals and he was like 6'10''. He is still pretty close to my friends but my dad got transferred to Columbia my senior year and we were never that close. Good guy, always the class clown.

You are right, Shaq is a nice guy. I have met him on a few occasions over the years. He actually has some ties to South Carolina. I recall him having to leave the Lakers during the playoffs to attend the funeral of his Grand Mother in Lake City, SC. He also attended the funeral of his Grand Father in the town a few years ago too.